The Nuvolari Coupe is officially a
“study,” at least for the moment, but the concept vehicle drew some admiring
stares during the opening morning of press previews at the Geneva Motor Show.
Declaring it a blend of “power, elegance and emotional desire,” Audi CEO Martin
Winterkorn noted the aluminum-spaceframe Nuvolari delivers 600-hp through its
V-10 engine. There’s no question Audi is hoping to shift direction a bit under
the direction of Bernd Pischetsrieder, who took over as CEO of parent Volkswagen
AG last year. But the German executive cautioned that in current form, “we would
have to change things” on the show car before it could go into production. The
sleek and swoopy design doesn’t reflect changing market demand, Pischetsrieder
told TheCarConnection. A production version would have to offer room for four
adults, and that would require changing the design to permit a functional rear
seat.

“We’ve got to preserve profits,” Jens
Neumann, VW board member in charge of North America, told TCC during a break in
the Geneva action. So, while the German automaker has been forced to up its
incentives in recent weeks, Volkswagen has no interest in going head-to-head
with the American Big Three — even if that means losing sales and market share.
The price for short-term gains would hurt the brand’s image in the long-run
Neumann insisted, stressing VW’s interest in moving up-market. But he
acknowledged that means his company will almost certainly lose ground in North
America over the next year as it awaits a new line of products. That includes
the next-generation Golf, which made its debut in Geneva. The Touran hatchback
has been redesigned to go after the likes of the popular Renault Megane Scenic.
A more conventional version of the Golf will not reach U.S. shores for close to
another year. Neumann said VW expects to get a bit of a boost from the U.S.
launch of its new Touareg SUV later this year. Volkswagen’s first SUV will start
at around $40,000 with a V-8, and the automaker hopes that will draw customers
away from the much higher-priced BMW X5. Meanwhile, Neumann said VW is studying
options for the big price gap between the Passat sedan and the Touareg
sport-ute. A roadster is one distinct possibility. For now, there are “only
studies,” however, and new product probably wouldn’t reach market until at least
2007.

The long-awaited “baby Lamborghini,”
the Gallardo, was finally and formally unveiled at a well-attended press
conference on Tuesday. Boasting a 5.0-liter V-10 putting out 500 horsepower, the
Giugiaro-designed two-seater will launch from 0-100 km/h (62.5 mph) in just 4.2
seconds, and pull a top speed of 309 km/h, or 193 miles an hour. The Italian
automaker, a subsidiary of Audi, is counting on the Gallardo to “open up new
dimensions for Lamborghini,” declared the automaker’s top executive, Dr. Werner
Mischke. If it meets expectations, Gallardo will boost the company’s annual
sales from 400 to at least 1000. Critical to the expanded appeal, Mischke
stressed, is that the $150,000 sports car will be designed “can also be used
every day,” unlike conventional Lambo models, such as the bigger
Murcielago.